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The best Amazon Prime Big Deal Days deals for 2024

Mashable - Mon, 10/07/2024 - 21:03

With the silly season soon upon us, Amazon has kicked off their second exclusive sales event for 2024, Prime Big Deal Days (not to be confused with Prime Day in July). From now until midnight on Sunday October 13 (AEDT), Amazon.com.au will feature some of it's biggest discounts all year – in some cases, with even lower prices than even Prime Day or Black Friday week.

Bear in mind that the event is exclusive to Amazon Prime members, so, if you're not a member, you'll need to sign up for a free 30-day trial to get in on the bargains.

Without further adieu, here's are the top deals we've spotted so far:

Best robot vacuum dealsBest smart home dealsBest smartphone and tablet dealsBest wearable tech dealsBest headphone and speaker dealsBest TV and home cinema dealsBest laptop dealsBest gaming deals

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What is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days?

Similar to Prime Day (which normally takes place in July) this month's Prime Big Deal Days is a sales event exclusive to Amazon Prime members in Australia and overseas. Aside from Prime Day and Black Friday, it's just about your best chance all year to score some eyewatering deals on a huge range of products being sold on Amazon.

When is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days in Australia?

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days in 2024 commenced 12:01am AEDT on October 8, with local deals running for six days until 11:59pm AEDT on October 13.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days shopping tips

Strategy is key for making the most of the Prime Big Deal Days event. Knowing how to shop on Amazon across the days will get you the best deals and save you heaps of time. If you feel like browsing for fun, be sure to check out the main Big Deal Days page!

Meanwhile, here are our top shopping tips for taking advantage of the sale:

  • Amazon's ‘Spotlight Deals’ run for 24-hours or more – some even run for the whole Big Deal Days event. You can take your time with these purchases, read the reviews, compare prices, and hit "buy" once you are sure you're getting bang for your buck.

  • Meanwhile, ‘Lightning Deals’ last for a limited amount of time, and have a limited amount of stock. If you see a good price on a lightning deal on something you want, be sure to get in quick!

  • Keep an eye on specific items you want, especially with the upcoming holiday gifting season. Simply search for these items on the Amazon store and see if they're on sale.

  • Try out Alexa shopping. You can simply ask “Alexa, what are my Prime Day deals?”, or even track your orders by asking “Alexa, where’s my stuff?”.

NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for October 8

Mashable - Mon, 10/07/2024 - 21:00

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for October 8's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: Hurdle hints and answers for October 8 What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for October 8 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

  • Yellow: Spooky iconography

  • Green: Stop

  • Blue: Reading music

  • Purple: Types of candy

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

  • Yellow: Halloween Symbols

  • Green: Prohibit

  • Blue: Found on Sheet Music

  • Purple: Candy___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #485 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

  • Halloween Symbols: BAT, PUMPKIN, SPIDER, WITCH

  • Prohibit: BAN, BLOCK, DENY, FORBID

  • Found on Sheet Music: ACCIDENTAL, NOTE, REST, STAFF

  • Candy___: APPLE, BAR, CANE, CORN

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: Mini crossword answers for October 8

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Upgrade your desk setup with one of these keyboard deals live ahead of October Prime Day

Mashable - Mon, 10/07/2024 - 19:56
Best keyboard deals ahead of October Prime Day Best standard keyboard deal Apple Magic Keyboard with numeric keyboard $106.47 at Amazon (Save $22.53) Get Deal Best mechanical keyboard deal Royal Kludge S98 mechanical keyboard $89.99 at Amazon (Save $10) Get Deal

Whether you're deep in the rabbit hole that is having a keyboard building hobby or you're simply looking to update your home office setup, Prime Big Deal Days is shaping up to be a great time to pick up a new keyboard on sale.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day is just one day away — here are all the best deals to shop so far

Though Amazon's sale doesn't officially start until Oct. 8, plenty of keyboards are already marked down from brands like SteelSeries, Epomaker, and more.

What makes a good keyboard can have a lot to do with personal preferences. We've included 15 different keyboard deals on our list below so you can find what you're looking for, whether you want something you can plug and play, or a hot-swappable keyboard you can customize as much as you'd like.

Best standard keyboard deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Magic Keyboard with numeric keyboard $106.47 at Amazon
$129.00 Save $22.53 Get Deal Why we like it

The Apple Magic Keyboard is pricey, but for folks who enjoy a quiet, low-profile typing experience, it could very well be worth it. Windows users are probably going to want to pass on this keyboard, but Apple fans will appreciate the easy connectivity to their MacBook or iPad, as well as the 100% layout. Note that this is an older version of the Magic Keyboard without a Touch ID sensor.

Best mechanical keyboard deal Opens in a new window Credit: Royal Kludge Royal Kludge S98 mechanical keyboard $89.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $10.00 Get Deal Why we like it

For under $90, you're getting a hot-swappable keyboard with a 96% layout, a knob, a small display, and a Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, and USB-C connection. In other words, this Royal Kludge keyboard is a great affordable mechanical keyboard, whether you're into gaming or just want something cute for your desk. There are also four different keycap colorways available, but the coupon amount may vary depending on which you choose.

More keyboard deals

Elon Musk's weirdest weekend, explained

Mashable - Mon, 10/07/2024 - 19:44

In September, there were signs that Elon Musk's attempts to elect Donald Trump — on and off the network formerly known as Twitter — were faltering.

Now, after a weekend in which Musk immortalized the hashtag #DorkMAGA at a Trump rally, appropriated the @America account from its owner, and used it to literally offer money to swing state voters, those attempts have entered uncharted territory.

How did we get here? Let's recap.

On September 23, Musk was successfully fact-checked, a.k.a. Community Noted, on an X post relating to U.S. politics, for the first time in 2024. Musk spread a false rumor that a bomb had been found at a Trump rally. A New York Times examination of Musk's 171 posts that week found that nearly a third of them were "false, misleading or lacked vital context." The fact that only one of them was marked as such gives you a sense of just how much Musk's supporters on the service are downvoting Community Notes on his posts.

Even for the stans, it seems, a fake bomb threat was beyond the pale.

Meanwhile IRL, Musk's pro-Trump America PAC was stumbling. In two swing states that will decide the 2024 election, Arizona and Nevada, where voter turnout is crucial, Musk fired its entire turnout operation. Given that America PAC is pretty much the only ground game the Trump campaign has, this was bad news for the GOP candidate that Musk officially endorsed back in July. As of last week, with early voting already underway in some states, America PAC was still hiring.

Then on Friday, Musk got another very public online fact-check. Not a Community Note this time, but a response from Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Musk sharing a screenshot of an anonymous text making wild claims about the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Tweet may have been deleted

"Support flights are underway, much appreciated," Musk replied after talking to Buttigieg — kind of claiming credit for solving a nonexistent problem, but also essentially walking back his fake claim about FEMA blocking Musk's satellite internet company from aiding in hurricane relief.

Could the weekend get any more embarrassing for him?

Musk: hold my beer Tweet may have been deleted

At a weekend rally for Trump in Pennsylvania, Musk appeared in a black "Make America Great Again" cap and declared himself "dark MAGA."

According to the Global Network for Extremism and Technology, the #DarkMAGA hashtag goes back to 2022, and represents a desire to go down a harsh path of retribution against MAGA critics. Dark MAGA posts frequently include Nazi and QAnon imagery.

If Musk's intent was to evoke a more terrifying image, he succeeded in part — though not in the way he might have hoped. When Musk shook Trump's hand, a strange look crossed his face — and one photograph launched a thousand memes.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

But even that meme could not withstand the firepower of Musk's midriff-baring ... well, let's just call it a rocket launch.

Tweet may have been deleted

Put the two together, and it's no surprise that a new hashtag blossomed: #DorkMAGA.

New profile, who dis

Those images contrasted with Musk's new Twitter/X profile photo. His red-armored Halloween costume, used on and off since October 2022, was replaced after the Trump rally Saturday by a more flattering (and more edited) picture of Musk in the Dark MAGA cap against an American flag. (Even some of Musk's blue-check buying supporters were quick to note they would lose their verification badge if they were to change their profile photo.)

Clearly, this was a long way from the claim Musk made back in April 2022, when he was preparing to buy Twitter, that the service should be "politically neutral" and upset "the far left and the far right equally."

And in case anyone was confused by the subtlety of the black-on-black MAGA cap, Musk also made his political message clear in his new bio: "Read @America to understand why I'm supporting Trump for president."

This was the first indication that Musk had seized the @America account from its original owner, and handed it over to his America PAC. As my Mashable colleague Matt Binder revealed, the original account owner — someone who happened to call Musk "anti-American" in 2020 — was given the rather less memorable handle of @America123_12.

Musk is within his rights to seize any account, of course — it's his service, he overpaid for it. He has done so once before, appropriating the "X" handle from a photographer. But at least that was the new name of his company. Seizing the name of a country, for entirely political purposes ... well, let's say it may not fully convey the "free speech" concept Musk believes himself to be defending.

Tweet may have been deleted

But hey, what's more American than promising free money for election-related purposes? That's what Musk proceeded to do with the America account, posting a bounty of $47 for any user who got a user in a swing state to sign the PAC's petition (and of course, harvesting their contact data in the process).

Given that America PAC is having trouble hiring, posting the bounty makes sense. Whether it counts as a violation of federal election law, in particular 18 U.S. Code § 597, is up to the Federal Election Commission, which has not yet weighed in. Some seasoned political observers were in no doubt, however.

Tweet may have been deleted Not helping, mom Tweet may have been deleted

And as if that weren't enough, Musk's mother, Maye, weighed in on another one of the X owner's posts — jokingly suggesting election fraud.

"It's not illegal," Mother Musk claimed of the suggestion that her son's supporters register 10 times and vote 10 times at different polling stations.

"This is, in fact, illegal," read a Community Note that was appended on Maye Musk's Saturday tweet. The note appeared to have been removed on Sunday, but was restored on Monday.

For Musk fans, evidently, supporting mom's right to suggest this kind of electoral fraud — something that Republican officials have already been prosecuted for doing — was a step too far.

The best 3D printer deals under $500 ahead of October Prime Day

Mashable - Mon, 10/07/2024 - 18:57
Best 3D printer deals ahead of Prime Big Deal Days Best overall AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer $199.99 at Amazon (Save $100) Get Deal Best multi-color deal Bambu Lab A1 mini 3D Printer $199 at Bambu (Save $100) Get Deal Best for large objects Elegoo Neptune 4 Plus $349.99 at Amazon (Save $70) Get Deal

Not that long ago, a 3D printing hobby wasn't really possible unless you had serious cash to burn. These days, while buying a 3D printer isn't super cheap, there are definitely some affordable options out there, which only become more so during sales like Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days.

None of the below deals from brands like AnkerMake, Sovol, and Anycubic are officially tied to Big Deal Days, but some of them are limited to Prime members only. These printers are also all from third-party sellers, with the Bambu deal coming straight from the brand's website.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's early Prime Day laptop deals are finally ramping up: Shop record lows on Apple, LG, and Acer

While we typically only recommend products shipped and sold by Amazon, we found that 3D printers are mainly sold by third-party sellers. We still vetted the seller pages and brands, but as always, we recommend shopping at your own risk with third-party — if something feels way too good to be true, it probably is.

With all that said, here are the best 3D printer deals ahead of October Prime Day's official start on Oct. 8.

Best 3D printer deal Opens in a new window Credit: AnkerMake AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer $199.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) deemed the AnkerMate M5C the best budget option for folks looking to get a 3D printer. They were fans of how easy the printer was to use, and how quickly it worked without sacrificing quality. It comes without higher end features like real-time video monitoring or an on-device display, but as Senior Analyst Tony Hoffman writes "it has a generous print area for its price, and the prints we produced were of high quality, even with the default settings in the slicer software." In other words, it's a great buy even at full price, so shaving $100 off the price makes it an even better value 3D printer.

More 3D printer dealsPROMOTED Canon Pixma Wireless Printer $199.00 at Amazon
Shop Now Rollo Wireless Printer X1040 $249.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $30.00 Shop Now Canon imageClass D570 $129.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $50.00 Shop Now

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